As kids, our evenings were defined by the battle between two entertainment powerhouses: Disney and Nickelodeon. The lasting imprint left by these networks act as a testament to the overwhelming impact these shows have had.
For those of us who are now teenagers transitioning into early adulthood, the nostalgia for shows like ‘Hannah Montana,’ ‘Jessie,’ ‘iCarly’ and ‘Victorious’ runs deep. For most, these were more than just TV shows. They were almost like a clutch, a source of comfort, in which valuable life lessons were taught indirectly through the hours on end entertainment.
For senior Myra Ajieroh, the winner of the battle was clear. She argued only one of these networks still has an abundant impact on her today. “[Nickelodeon] doesn’t have the same type of nostalgic feeling I still experience with Disney.” Ajieroh said.
When referring back to her childhood, she describes movies such as ‘Camp Rock,’ ‘High School Musical’ and ‘Descendants’ to be one of the main highlights. ”While she views these movies as entertaining, she also makes the argument that Disney runs deeper than just entertainment.
“Disney had more of those types of shows and movies that taught you life lessons and had quotes like “Do good in school,” “Don’t do drugs” and stuff like that,” Ajiero said. “So I feel Disney was one of the most impactful channels for children back in the day and even now.”
While some still have a nostalgic feeling for older shows, others have had the feeling stripped from them. Freshman Elyjah Williams expresses how the new documentary ‘Quiet On Set,’ which unravels a lot of unpleasant things that were happening behind the scenes of Nickelodeon, has changed his views on the ongoing debate.
“The shows are good, but unfortunately [upon seeing the documentary] I don’t associate with Nickelodeon anymore, so I like Disney more,” Williams said.
Through interviews with various students, it was clear that Disney has had an impact on all ages. While freshmen like Williams and Vaishu Mangalagiri resonated with more recent shows like ‘Bunk’d’ and ‘Jessie,’ history teacher and cheerleading coach, Ms. Ward experienced Disney with a completely different catalog. But there were similar results with the impact that the network had.
“I really watched all of the Disney shows, ‘Suite Life of Zack and Cody,’ ‘Hannah Montana,’ ‘That’s So Raven,’ and then on Nickelodeon I really only watched ‘iCarly.’ I was a Disney kid,” Ms. Ward said. “I, for sure, still feel the nostalgia, I even find myself putting on old episodes in my class.”
While the debate was without a doubt for some, others had difficulty deciding between the two networks. After senior Hadley Gardener originally answered Disney, she later came back after thinking about it to explain why her true answer is Nickelodeon.
“Nickelodeon had ‘Big Time Rush’, but in every other aspect, Disney,” Gardener said in her first interview. However later she said, “I can name more Nickelodeon shows so they obviously stuck with me more, it was more mature and the sound effects made it more funny.”
Being able to have that connection and emotion for something like television shows that early on in life, and still have that feeling today to want to continue watching the films that had evoked that feeling shows the immense impact of the television network. An impact that Olsen didn’t feel Nickelodeon had in her life in the way Disney did.
While Gardener had more of a connection with Nickelodeon shows, sophomore Kaitlin Olsen felt more of a connection with Disney due to the storylines and life lessons that appeared on Disney.
“I think I prefer Disney over Nick because the movies I loved taught me creativity and how to be unique,” Olsen said. “I’m thankful I watched as much Disney as I did.”
